Comprehending the Pain
by JeffersonianGirl2004
Summary: Sweets has died and Christine learns the knowledge of her baby-sitter and friend's passing. The three-year-old's heart is immediately crushed and she is forced to come to terms with something as dark and tragic as the death of a loved one. Christine/Sweets friendship. SEASON 10. ONE-SHOT.


_AN: I don't own Bones, yeah if I did I'd be happy right now._

_I still haven't gotten over Sweets so hopefully this story shows some emotion. I cried when I wrote it so you might need some Kleenex as well._

* * *

I exchange a worried glance with Booth and I feel him squeeze my hand. It was four thirty on a Wednesday afternoon and we had gotten home from work early in order to break some news to Christine.

Christine Booth was Booth and my three-year-old daughter. She was a beautiful little girl and always saw the best in people, even if that was next to impossible to find. All of Christine's life her babysitter and number one friend, after her brother Parker, was Lance Sweets. He was an FBI psychologist who had worked with Booth and I for the past seven years only to have his life cut short doing his job.

Sweets had been murdered, beaten to death all for the sake of some documents that tied in with the conspiracy that put my husband behind bars. While Booth was in jail Sweets had stood by me each and everyday. He would pick Christine up from kindergarten and play dress ups with her while her mother was mourning for her father. He said that he loved helping us but I knew that that wasn't the only thing he loved, he loved Christine as though she was his own. Not all babysitters insist on building forts with young children and camping out whilst watching childish TV shows but Sweets did.

His girlfriend, Daisy Wick, who was one of my interns, was pregnant. She was about to have his baby when Sweets was brutally murdered. Now she was alone in the world as well. I just hoped that she'd make it through the pregnancy and I vowed to help her out with anything, just as friends even though I had never really liked her.

"So how should we tell her…?" Booth asks trailing off.

I shake my head and fight back a tear "We have to get straight to the point Booth, I'm not pretending even for a short amount of time and I know that you can't either" I reply.

I feel Booth's arm snake around my waist "We can do it, she'll understand…" he mutters softly.

I nod "I know that she will understand, she is a very intelligent child, but I am still worried about how she will comprehend the pain"

"She be fine, I know she'll cry but we all have, you know that"

I squeeze Booth's hand one last time before following him through the door leading into the living room.

* * *

I glance at Christine who was sitting in the middle of the room playing with a few of her soft toys. I watch, a tear in my eye, as she pours a cup of tea for each of the furry animals. My glance then falls on a cup that sat vacant to the left of her, I knew who it was for. She thought that he was coming over to see her.

I bite the inner wall of my mouth and sit down on the floor besides Booth fighting back all of the tears that were fighting to escape and be set free.

"Hi mommy, hi daddy. Where's Uncle Sweets? Is he still at work or with Aunty Daisy?" she asks as she hugs each of her parents in turn.

"Well that's what we have to talk to you about" Booth begins softly.

Christine looks at her father, confusion in her big brown eyes "He was supposed to pick me up from kindergarten but grandpa Max did instead, is there something wrong with Aunty Daisy?" she asks intently.

"No Aunty Daisy is okay, we have to speak to you about Uncle Sweets"

I watch Booth wince in pain and agony as he tries to hide the hurt whilst saying that name, his name.

Christine looks up at me "Mommy what's wrong with Uncle Sweets?"

I turn away and look at the wall. I quickly brush back the tears that were beginning to stream with my sleeve and look back to Booth who was clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Baby girl, something sad happened today" he begins.

Christine shrugs "What do you mean?"

"Well your Uncle Sweets won't be coming home" he replies his eyes glistening with tears.

"What is he moving away with Aunty Daisy and the baby because if he is I want to visit, we can help him move like he did with us…" she begins chattering away to herself.

I feel Booth's hand on my shoulder and he strokes me gently whilst keeping his eyes on his daughter.

"Well pumpkin it's not that type of move, your Uncle Sweets is going to become an angel and will be sitting at God's side," he says softly.

I don't, for the first time ever, cut in and tell him that his religion and God is a myth. I just sit beside Booth and watch as tears form in the little girls eyes as she finally comprehends what he means.

"So you mean that Uncle Sweets is dead? Like all of the people that are in the cemetery that I saw when Uncle Sweets took me to visit his mommy and daddy?"

I nod. He had taken her to the cemetery? When? I never knew that he let others in on the pain especially not a little girl.

"Yes Sweetheart, he won't forget you though," I whisper.

I watch as Christine begins to cry. The sobs soon turn into all out tears and then she was soon crying uncontrollably.

"YOU'RE LYING, HE CAN'T BE!" she yells between sobs as she runs off up the stairs.

"Stop Christine why would we lie?" Booth begins but it was too late she was already gone, locked away behind closed doors.

I look over at Booth "I think she understands…"

Booth cuts me off "She's a smart kid, you said so yourself"

I feel him embrace my shoulders and I cuddle my head up to his chest. Together we just sit in silence and together we mourn.

* * *

"Christine, Sweetheart, are you in there?" I ask as I lightly tap my fist against the door to Christine's bedroom.

I hear nothing but silence "I want to have a talk with you"

I wait another few minutes before pushing down on the handle and walking in.

I glance around the room and see my young daughter sitting at the small yellow kiddie table that was positioned in the far right hand corner of the room drawing a picture.

I walk closer in order to get a better look at what she was drawing but she quickly pulls it away and glares at me.

"Please go away mommy!" she cries

Usually I would scold her after such horrible language but this time I just sit beside her and hug her to my side.

"Sweetie I know that this is hard but you don't have to take it out on me. Could I please see what you are drawing?" I ask.

Christine just looks away from me and shows me the piece of A4 paper. On it a picture of Sweets and Christine holding hands was drawn. Sweets was holding a blueberry muffin and Christine had a kiddie cup filled with pomegranate juice. Underneath the picture there was some messy children's writing. It was written in thick green crayon and read:

_Hi Uncle Sweets_

_My mommy and daddy told me that you are up in heaven with God and I believe them._

_I miss you already but I know that you will be watching me._

_I hope you get to see your mommy and daddy up there like you told me in the cemetery. You said that no one was lonely in heaven because they all saw their mommies and daddies and grannies and grandpas. _

_I promise to give your baby a hug for you. And to play games with aunty Daisy so she isn't lonely._

_Playing Minecraft and building forts won't be the same without you but I promise that I won't forget you._

_I love you so much Uncle Sweets, more then all of the world and I wish that I could hug you now like you hug me._

_Love Christine, your favourite friend_

I immediately start crying despite the young girls poor spelling and embrace her even tighter.

"Mommy do you think that Uncle Sweets will like my letter?"

I nod "It's from you Sweetie and I know that he loves you so I promise that he'll love your letter"

I watch as Christine folds it up into a paper plane.

"Uncle Sweets showed me how to make a paper plane so I am going to throw it to him in heaven" she tells me.

I watch as Christine walks over to the window and opens it. The cold winter wind whips her cheeks as she tosses the plane out the window and watches as it gets caught on the breeze.

She smiles slightly at me and cuddles back into my side

"Uncle Sweets is gonna love my message"

* * *

THE NEXT DAY:

As I walk out of my house in the morning I see a white piece of paper in the gutter. I hurry over and pick it up knowing exactly what it was. I glance briefly over Christine's now smudged handwriting and let out a tear.

I knew that Sweets would never have gotten the letter but I knew, despite my beliefs, that Sweets knew that the young girl loves him and would have done something like this for him. I knew that Sweets would do the same for her and I knew that he would never forget her, even though he would never see her again.

* * *

_AN: Hope you enjoyed this, well not too much, you can't enjoy sad stories really. _

_Okay couple of notes I know that Christine is really young but she can write just for the sake of this story and her spelling has been edited so she doesn't actually write that perfectly._

_Feel free to leave a review or PM me any questions!_

_Please Read and Review_


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